Cries of the Prince
by MaddeningHattress
Summary: Would a conversation with Izayoi change Sesshoumaru's perspective towards his setpmother and other humans?


Title: Cries of the Prince

Author: MaddeningHattress  
Rating: T/PG-13  
Genre: family and friendship.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. The storyline is made for entertainment to the readers with no intentions of infringement. Any other unfamiliar characters mentioned are created for the completion of the story and are not related to the original series of InuYasha.

Summary: His life was suppost to be perfect. However, things never go as always wanted.

Story:

It has always been a known fact that the Prince of the Western Lands was a splendor of elegance and grace. Beautiful if self was not the word to describe his person, the splendid ivory hair, youkai markings, and the crescent moon on his forehead. He was beyond beauty. He was an 'ethereal' being. That one word described his outer person.

While his physical form defines beauty, his mental thinking was far from beautiful. He was a killer, a very ruthless killer. He'd kill without qualm and would continue to kill for pleasure alone. He was magnanimous and conceited. He'd never think so low for anything.

He was one who would think humans are low creatures. Beings far lower than he, beings that should worship him, an ethereal being, and a youkai prince of status. He treated the humans' food and enjoyment for other youkais.

His greatest woe was when his father decided to take in a human woman -a food- to his court and presented her as his mate, the new Lady of the West, one of two positions much higher than his own, the Prince of the West. His father being the King of his people, the Lord of the West had shamed his own lands by presenting the human woman as his mate. He too abhorred the thought that a food would become his second lady mother.

He thought of the previous Lady of the West. She was manipulative and uncaring. She'd kill like he does, she showed no emotions of love and care like he does, and she had taught him not to show weakness like love and care. His father thinks otherwise.

The Lord of the West, the Inu no Taishou, Lord Touga, was a compassionate man. His destructive love for humans run deep within his veins and when he and the previous Lady of the West thought that their mating was a disgrace, which too disgraced their son Sesshoumaru, they decided to end things once and for all.

He was being careless. He thought he had his father all to himself and no one else. He had thought that his father's late night roundabouts were for the lands safety, the usual youkai rounds in their parameters, he was completely mistaken. It was too late to change things now since the human woman was of pup. She now had an abomination inside her. What more could he possibly do?

His father had threatened him not to go near the human woman, had threatened him not to kill her and the pup, or he, son of Touga, Prince of the West, will be severely punished and perhaps, lose his title as the heir. Infuriating! Unacceptable! Disgrace to the dog youkai community! He was willing to sacrifice his title to regain his father's honor by killing his so called human mate; he was willing to be severely punished by his own father to bring back honor to their family, yet his father himself deign it unnecessary.

Then his Lady Mother had sent them an/ insulting gift. A gift that would forever picture in his mind the faults of his father, the dishonor they never deserve to have, the humiliation of it all. It was a dead swallow; a symbol of impurity and abhorrence from the previous Lady of the West; a symbol that she did not approve of the new Lady. A symbol that the Western Land was in distress.

His father had sent her back a black pearl and a black ribbon. He knew the symbol of the black ribbon. It meant he considered the previous lady dead in his eyes. The black pearl symbolizes a heart. She was dead in the Lord of the West's mind and heart through and through.

For the first time, in so many years, decades, millennia, the Prince of the West, Sesshoumaru, cried, silently, and unnoticeably by his father, who, with superior senses should have smelled his tears. He shed tears that night, a night he will never forget. The night, he had deduced himself like his father in accepting the human female.

He was very silent, and he was sitting on the window ledge that oversees the night shade of the Western Lands. He did not wipe the stains of his tears, to show the night, to show him-self what his father had done to his family, to his eldest son. The hurt he felt when the Inu no Taishou so simply judged his son of a possible treason when he only had thought of it and not really meant on doing it. He continued to weep for his loss.

He had thought that he will lose far more than the lands he was promised he'd have one day. His mother was already gone; aside from the kind of love she shared for his son, the love one could not easily feel from his mother. He sometimes thought she did not care or perhaps she really didn't. She rarely ever shows affection for her only child; she was strict and uncompassionate; she'd punish her child without much thought; she'd lecture her child not to show any emotions at all that emotions were weak and unnecessary for the next Lord of the West.

He then thought of his father, the father he respected all through his life, the father he wanted all to himself, the man he thought would guide him through hardships in almost everything had now left him. Preferred the human wench rather than him, he chose the hanyou pup rather than him. It was infuriating and heart breaking. The father he once thought would protect him and promised that he'd never be left alone. Where was his father now?

His mind wondered to the unborn pup. He was to be named Inuyasha, the pup who unknowingly stole everything away from him. Perhaps, one day, he'd also steal what was precious to him just to see the same suffering of the pup just as he suffered right now; complete rejection and complete mistrust. The ignorance of the pup of his father's folly will bring the pup down with him. Yes, he will bring the pup down with him, in his sufferings, in his hurt. The pup will share what he had not deigned right was his grief.

Then the door opened without him noticing. He was in so deep thought that he did not hear the mere creak of the wooden slides. What he did feel was a hand lay on his shoulders, warm, and comforting hands that rubbed his shoulders gently and soothingly it was almost soporific. He did not care who it was, he took the hand and most selfishly rubbed it on his unblemished cheeks, seeking all the warmth from the only hand that seemed to calm his nerves. He wept even more.

His grief was nothing he felt before. The loss he felt when his father rejected him, mistrust him. It was in the point of insanity of it all. He wanted someone to hurt as well. He did not like feeling alone in his hurt, he wanted to share the hurt, but his father was nowhere. His youkai was confused and devastated. He only thought, once the pup was born, the pup will share the same hurt his older brother suffered.

The hand glided to his cheeks, and wiped the tears away. The hand was warm, but because of the night breeze, it would become cold then warm again. It was most confusing. Then the owner of the hand spoke, in gentle and calming manner that pierced his already broken heart into much smaller pieces.

"Hush my eldest pup, things will be alright."

It was no one he recognized. He had heard the voice before. He could not smell. His nose was blocked. It was neither his parents' voices. It was feminine. He thought this voice a maid. He was ready to lash her out, to yell at her for even coming inside the room of the Prince of the West. He was ready to kill the maid for witnessing his time of weakness, but when he saw who it was he stopped. He growled, but then he ignored her completely and continued on to his water works, humiliation etched on his face beyond unreasonable doubt.

"It is I, Izayoi. My pup, do not weep. We are here for you."

"Leave this room, human. You are not welcome here and do not call me your pup."

"Sesshoumaru, I cannot leave you so hurt. Tell me what is wrong."

"It is none of your business, human. I do not wish to be punished by father by killing you. Now, leave."

She ignored the young youkai's silent pleas. Instead, she sat on the floor and splendored the vast view of the Western Lands. She simply hummed a tune, a very beautiful tune. It was as if she was singing a lullaby for her unborn pup in the presence of the older youkai pup. It was gentle, nothing he had ever heard before. Perhaps, it was an impromptu hymn, but it was beautiful.

He felt something pull his tail and he looked down. He noticed that it was only Izayoi, somewhat observing his fluffy appendage and was marveling the softness of it. He growled a warning at her. He took the appendage forcibly from her grasp. Her long nails dug on its flesh and he winced a little.

"Forgive me, your tail is much softer than your father's. His felt like a hard feline's hair."

Sesshoumaru was beyond words. How dare the human insult his father and her mate at that! Insolent being! If he ignored her, maybe she'll leave him alone. He continued to watch the night shaded lands. The moon brightened the skies and the stars shimmering…

"Oh! I thought I saw an eagle!"

Perhaps, ignoring her was impossible. Would silence decide for her that she was not welcome in his room? What an insolent mongrel. He scratched the wooden ledge of his window, making him look intimidating in a way that only rodents find it almost unbearably frightening. Instead of hearing a gasp of pure fright, he heard a laugh.

"Your father always does that too."

Sesshoumaru quirked a brow but he did not face her. He was merely wondering what she was talking about. Does what? Scratching? It was normal for all youkais to scratch. It was to sharpen their claws. It was only instinct that led them to do that.

"I find that funny."

To hell with silence, she wasn't shutting up! She was beyond annoying and she was a pest! How dare this human think of even attempting to befriend him? The Prince of the Western Lands does no such thing as befriending food.

He felt another tug on his tail and Sesshoumaru found the woman snuggling the soft appendage. It was almost humiliating to see a human close to him, let alone touch him. The only possible thing that he could have done right now for some peace and quiet was to kick her out of his room, but he doubted that his father would take that kindly of him. He'd be punished for sure. So he took out his tail and threw it at her. Her next sentence caught him off guard.

"I knew these things were not connected in you two somehow."

If he didn't hate the human woman right now, he'd laugh at her observation. How foolish could one get? Did she really think that the royal bloodline of Inu Youkai would go so low revealing to the world the magnificent pelt of their youkai? Hell no.

"You know, Sesshoumaru. Your father said you were uncompassionate."

He perked up, of course he wasn't. If his father would think otherwise, he'd puke at the foolishness of the thought itself. Compassion was weak, and he wanted to be strong, strong enough to show his father the right path to glory, to magnificence. To bring back the honor of their family that was lost because of this human female behind him.

"He also said you were a conceited pump, self-righteous, egotistical, barbaric, and self-imposed saint Prince."

His heart hurt at every word she said, his father really thought of him like that? He was the conceited pump, self-righteous, egotistical, barbaric, and self-imposed Prince of the West? That really hurt. He clenched his fist. It was his father's fault. He hiccupped and sniffed and then huffed. He was only like that because of what happened to them. He wasn't being a rebel. It would bring much dishonor to them, more humiliation.

"He also said you're swollen-headed, puffed-up, selfish, bratty-"

Once he could no longer take insults from her or from his father, whichever way was right, he growled loudly. Glaring daggers at her little head and snarled at her, making her stop from talking the insults. He could not take it. His father was backstabbing him and this woman dare disclose it in front of him no less!

"Shut-up."

"…You finally talked."

If he was angry, he was sure that she saw how angry he was. He faced her full view. She was smiling at him, she was enjoying his suffering! The nerve of the woman! He wanted to strike her, to see her blood on his claws, to hear her scream in pain. She was making fun of him; can't his father see what she was doing right now? She was manipulating them both, steering the wheels of their minds by disclosing what has been said about the other.

She tilted her head in confusion, and continued to smile at his sweetly. If she was capable of smirking then she would have done so. These two inu youkais were a hand full, she thought. Her only regret was that she and her new mate had not waited for the blessing of the younger youkai for their mating ceremony and the child had to suffer for it.

"You know, talking to your father once in a while does not hurt, Sesshoumaru. Just tell him what you really felt. He will understand."

"How would you know? You caused all this, you and your unborn pup!"

"Your brother and your father's son, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru was very angry now, the only factor stopping him from killing her was his father and more dishonor for their family. She was infuriating, he wanted to be alone, and can't she see that! He was grieving for his lost family!

"Leave me! Can you not see I do not wish to see you? Your sight disgusts me."

"…I know where you got that from."

"…"

"You are so much like him. Well, I hope that my youngest pup doesn't consider my sight disgusting. You're not the only one who said I look like that. I was always complemented beautiful, but your father proved me wrong."

"…Impossible, father does not curse your face, woman. If not, then perhaps, you are the most beautiful being in his sight."

"Ha-ha that was now, Sesshoumaru. If you only knew how he treated me before. Come now, did you really think your father would just befriend a mere human woman without bridging insults to her person for starters? He even told me I was the outcome from a breeding ground of insufferable beings: Insufferable beings!"

"Father would never say that. It is most unlike him to insult humans."

"Then perhaps you thought your father wrongly. You should have seen his face when I told him he was the outcome of a tanuki and a pixie."

Sesshoumaru snarled, tanuki's were Inu Youkia's most un-trusted breed of self imposed demi-gods. Tanukis' claim that their breed was of the gods and should over power the leaders of the lands. How impudent of those little rodents to think so. With their ugly markings and all, they will never pass a god. In fact, one would think they suited a thief. They were sure the tanukis' breeds were of prominent thieves instead of gods that they claimed to be. Dare this woman even announce that his father, the Inu no Taishou of the Inu Youkai came from a tanuki! It was saying that Touga of the West was a theif!

"…T-tanuki! Insolent human! Our markings are not of tanuki origins!"

"It was a joke, Sesshoumaru, and boy was your father angry. I had never run a lap so long in my whole life before. It was a good thing that an innocent merchant passed by and thought him a man assaulting a poor defenseless woman. Sure someone got hurt, but it was a good thing that he got back to his senses. Took him awhile too apologized the week after."

"You deserved it, woman. You do not provoke an Inu Youkai, much of an Inu no Taishou. It was insolent of you to do so."

"Well, I was insulted; I had to think of a comeback."

"Had it never crossed your mind that he was a youkai, much stronger than you and your human guards? Foolish being."

"Hmm, now that you mention that, it didn't. I was only thinking that someone insulted me, I just had to say something. It was meant for a joke, I never thought he'd take it seriously."

"Never compare a tanuki and an Inu Youkai. It would do you good to remember that."

She giggled and fiddled her fingers on the soft appendage of Sesshoumaru's tail. Then she wrapped it around her swollen stomach from four months pregnancy. Tapping it and scratching it as if expecting it to jump at her any time, but when it didn't move, she looked dejected and defeated. She sighed and smiled up at the younger youkai prince, who was observing her antics with mild amusement.

"I was thinking that perhaps these things, your tails, would move or something. I was sure I saw Touga's pelt jump when I stepped on it."

"Step on it? Of course it will react. It is part of us and you have successfully hurt the Inu no Taishou without you knowing."

"Funny, I was sure he said that whatever happens to his pelt, it doesn't hurt him the slightest."

It was Sesshoumaru's turn to smirk, "Did you really think he'd reveal the pain he felt to anyone, human? How gullible of you. It pains and Inu Youkai if their tail is injured and you better not say anything about this to anyone at all or I will kill you."

"Then it is our little secret."

Awkward silences then meet the air and Sesshoumaru once again was lost in his thoughts. He frowned when he thought that the human had somehow coaxed him to talk to her, the manipulative little heathen. Should she ever utter a word again, this Sesshoumaru knows better than to comment about it. He shifted from his position to get a better view at her and when he noticed that she was still smiling at him, he felt his blood rising from his face, unconsciously raising his sleeves to cover the blush on his face. He made a promise to himself, that if this woman ever decides to initiate a conversation with him, he will not talk to her. Ignore her.

The young youkai's actions made Izayoi smile and controlled her chance to laugh in front of the embarrassed Prince. The young youkai must have noticed that she was initiating a conversation and was embarrassed to finally notice that he had been caught along with it. She adjusted the pelt on her stomach when she noticed that it suddenly tightened around her a little, warming her in the process.

She looked up at her mate's eldest child and saw the pain and grief in his eyes. The young youkai was probably confused of the turn of events, especially when his own Lady Mother sent them a black and dead sparrow. She knew the sparrow was meant for her, that the previous Lady of the West did not approve of her ascension as the new Lady.

Then there was the council of Inu Youkais threatening Touga of his position as Inu no Taishou if he chose to indeed mate the human woman. Although that part has been solved thank to Touga's quit wit and his personal threat to the council. It was somewhat funny. The council had no other possible leader to lead their people, and the blood of Touga and Sesshoumaru was well known to be the only royal blood that leads the lands of the West. There were no other blood brothers to take the throne. If they ever found a new Inu no Taishou, rebellion would rise because all the Inu youkai had pledged their loyalty to Touga.

A youkai's custom was frightening yet somewhat trustworthy. If it was her case, she'd have been denounced from princess to a slave easily because of an act of treason and would have been thrown to the dungeons to die, along with her unborn pup-so they say-.

Izayoi stared at the back of her mate's eldest pup and felt sorry for him. He was millennia older than her, yet she saw him as a child needing a father and mother's love. As Inu no Taishou would say, 'he is still but a pup'. Inu no Taishou believed that they should give Sesshoumaru time for everything, but Izayoi thought otherwise. If they left Sesshoumaru alone for a long time, the pup would feel lost and would react violently when the younger pup would be born. Something neither Touga nor Izayoi were ready to face.

Izayoi smiled at the pup's back. Sesshoumaru was too formal for his own good, and it was not a good thing for a child to feel so obliged to follow all the rules and conduct of everything. It was almost wrong for the child to burden himself of adult problems, yet they cannot shield him away from it. She looked at him once again.

"I know something you don't."

When she heard no response, she sighed. Thinking that befriending this young youkai was going to be very tough. Nevertheless, she'd befriend him even if it killed her to do so.

"I bet an adult tanuki's fur is much softer than yours."'

"What is with you and tanukis'? They are nothing but self-righteous breed that would someday become extinct within the confines of their holes."

She smiled at her accomplishment when he relied. She thought that if she kept up the act of knowing all about him using the tanuki's, which she sure would anger him any minute, would bridge something with their relationship.

"Well, their fur is much softer than Inu Youkai's aren't they? Sure your fur is soft, but hey, you never even touched a tanuki before."

"If it would full your curiosity, I too have touched a tanuki. I gave chase and I immediately killed. I did not give my-self pleasures as touching it for feel. It is below me to do so."

"Hmm, how could you, it was only a baby."

Izayoi laughed when Sesshoumrau immediately looked at her as if she had another set of eyes. She laughed harder when he would open and close his mouth like a fish.

"H-How did you know it was a baby? I swear, if you are not human, then you're a sorceress. I will kill you my-self if I ever found you practicing sorcery inside this domain."

"Oh-oh! No, Sesshoumaru, of course not. Ha-ha. I was merely guessing that it was a baby, but seriously, could you have at least killed an adult tanuki rather than a baby?"

"Are you implying that I am weak and I cannot handle a tanuki bigger than I am?"

"How big is an adult tanuki anyway?"

"You claim that an adult tanuki's fur is much softer than mine yet you do not know the growth of it? Are you lying to me?"

"Ha-ha. Relax, Sesshoumaru. I was talking about a tanuki fur ornament. I'm sure it came from adults."

"…They are as big as a baby panda."

"They are small then."

"Deadly."

"Oh, so that's why you chose to strike a baby."

"Are you saying that I'm scared of tanukis'? Do you really want to die that badly, human?"

"Oh, I never said you were."

"You are infuriating! Do not talk to me, I hate you!"

With that said, Sesshoumaru's back faced Izayoi completely. The young youkai huffed and growled and muttered incoherent words under his breath and when he noticed how childish he had been acting towards her, he blushed ten shades of crimson and glanced at her and apologized, muttering a new set of profanities instead.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, my mate's eldest. Would you scorn this woman if she ever thought of loving you as like her own? I am going to be the mother of Touga's youngest child, but I also wish to be treated a mother by his eldest. You do not know how it hurt me to see you so dejected and alone like this."

"Insolent fool, do not treat me a child, I am far older than you ever would and I no longer need care. I know my rights and I claim them to be justified. Father thinks otherwise. He treats me a pup and I am insulted by it. I do not need you and your family. I do not need father!"

"Shush, Sesshoumaru. You do not mean that."

This time, Sesshoumaru faced her. Standing his ground and with a little humiliation that his height showed him, she was three inches taller than him and it was unacceptable. He glared at her instead, hoping to intimidate her even a little.

"You know nothing! He left me for you and your unborn pup! How-how could I possibly ask for him when he has you and that abomination? How can I possibly remove you out from him when he does not even want you dead? I hated your kind, they take father away from me and now my family, and my only family left me. If he does not need me, if I was not even needed in the first place, then I do not need him either. I do not need you and that abomination!"

Izayoi clenched her hand on her heart. The pain that the young youkai showed on his face was very clear. The tears, albeit unbeknownst to the young youkai, flowed freely down on his unblemished cheeks. His eyes showed grief and confusion, anger and dismay. The child was lost and she was afraid that she would lose him completely. She reached out her hand to him and hugged him to her chest with all her might, weeping while doing so.

"I am truly sorry. We should have waited for you. We should not have acted without your blessing. You should have been the deciding factor for our mating, yet we acted against our better judgment. We were afraid you'd not let us be mated. I was afraid to lose Touga to you as well. My fear was my weakness and I asked your father of it. He merely agreed you'd not let us so we acted on ourselves."

"Y-you'd really think that I would not let my father be happy?"

"It was beneath me to think so and no, we thought that you would merely disapprove with the council."

"True…Let me go."

"No, let me hold you. I want you to cry out your feelings, but let me be with you when you do it. Please, just this once, Sesshoumaru. I will not leave you. Touga is still your father Sesshouamaru. He will never abandon his son, especially you. You are his eldest pup and he loves you very much."

Sesshoumaru could easily push her aside and hurt her in the process but his thinking that seeing her bleed out the pup to death because of miscarriage did not sit well with him. He wanted to weep. Wanted to do what she said, but she was human. Someone who was weak and unworthy of his time, yet he enjoyed their conversation. Tanuki's were an unusual topic for an Inu youkai. She was so motherly. She was so different from his mother. She was very nosy, annoying, yet warm, soft, and comforting…

"Just this once…Then perhaps..."

"Shh, very well."

It had been weeks since Sesshoumaru's crying episode. He had wept on Izayoi for a good hour and fell asleep on her lap until the sun arose. When he did woke up, a sleepy, but smiling Izayoi greeted him 'good morning' and he felt warm inside. Since his head was so close to Izayoi's stomach, he also noticed the pup kicking his head in greeting.

Izayoi had offered him to listen to the pup and feel the pup's youkai that same morning. She was brushing Sesshoumaru's hair while he listened to the unborn Inuyasha inside. He kicked and his youki would lash out when Sesshoumaru would playfully insult Izayoi's person. He had heartily laughed that time.

The week there after was a relief for Sesshoumaru. His father, Touga, decided to visit him in his study and invite him for a three day hunt. They hunted and targeted many animals, but focused on large boas and roasted the leg part for Izayoi's dinner and ate the rest raw. They talked for a good hour of politics, how Sesshoumaru was coping up with his studies and how the far the west borders were dealing with the foreign emissaries. Everything was good then and it became better when his father held him suddenly and apologized about the sudden changes in his eldest son's life.

Much to Touga's chagrin, Izayoi retold the story about the tanuki incident and made the evenings that three days even more delightful.

The following week was a longer week for Sesshoumaru. He was to be the ambassador of the Western Lands to the human community that resided in their lands and was assigned to visit one of the human villages and stay there for at least a cup of tea. No matter how embarrassing it was and humiliating it was for his part, he took the title 'ambassador' and went to the human village with heavily pregnant Izayoi.

Months after that, Inuyasha was born and Izayoi was beaming with happiness. Touga's gifts were great, because he gave her two new children of her own to take care of. Sesshoumaru's gift was to congratulate her and finally call her 'mother' upon Inuyasha's birth.

Despite her being so worn out from childbirth, she took Sesshoumaru into a tight hug and presented butterfly kisses on his face. She then took Inuyasha from Touga and kissed the new pup's forehead lightly before finally facing the Inu no Taishou and kissing him fully on the lips, earning them a disgruntled grunt not only from Sesshoumaru but, surprisingly, Inuyasha as well.

"Let us leave these two adults alone now, pup. It was horrible seeing Lady Second Mother in pain, but it is even horrible seeing both parents eating each faces-out in front of their children."

"Haaaaaa."

"I agree."

With that, Sesshoumaru went to the nursery and placed Inuyasha gently on his crib. Looking out for the small hanyou until Izayoi decided to give Inuyasha a breast feed. Not seeing something so spectacular before, Sesshoumaru had innocently stared at her and Inuyasha like it was a magnificent process of feeding. Izayoi felt conscious of it but Touga had silently assured her that Sesshoumaru was merely studying for the better future.

Hearing his father explain his observation in quite an embarrassing way, Sesshoumaru grunted and took Inuyasha from Izayoi after the feeding and went to play with his new baby brother.

Months after that, Sesshoumaru would not be without the tiny hanyou on his tail most of the days and nights. Sesshoumaru would either be seen in the studies or in Inuyasha's nursery, playing with the tiny hanyou. The elder youkai would teach Inuyasha how to read and write when he was already able to pronounce 'big brother' correctly.

Many Years passed; Izayoi had not aged a day due to the mating mark from her mate and had birthed two more boy pups and one girl pup named Mokuton, Toukaishou, Suikon respectively. Inuyasha grew up and Sesshoumaru was hailed Lord of the West.

In the silence of the surrounding that enveloped the Western Lands under the evening skies, Sesshoumaru gazed at the stars that shimmered in the night skies. Noticing the noisy bushes behind him, he immediately placed his hands on the hilt of one of his two swords, Tenseiga for safety measures. When the perpetrator showed itself to him, he smiled and reached his hand out to his most favored baby brother.

Inuyasha huffed, but smiled and cuddled beneath Sesshoumaru's chin, feeling contempt when his big brother's arms encircled around his shoulders as well as his tail to their bodies.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha, pup? Lady Mother Izayoi will get angry at you for leaving the palace grounds."

"Feh, I'm no longer a baby pup, Sho-nii-sama. I can take care of myself. Mama's so overreacting sometimes."

"Hmm, I know, but a pup nevertheless. Father would have laughed at her folly."

"Say, I heard Lady Mother would be visiting sometime this week?"

"Ah, yes. She was going to talk to Lady Mother Izayoi about the tea party they were holding for the pre- banquet this month."

"I see. By the way, to answer your question earlier, your mate request for you. I think she wanted to know if she'd be participating for the banquet this month considering her stage of pregnancy."

"Rin should not feel declined of her rights. It depends if she is feeling well. She is in her last stage of pregnancy, Inuyasha."

"I know. I was also wondering. How it would feel like having a mate."

"Soon, little brother. You and Lady Kagome are intended are you not?"

"Feh, she's great and all, but what a nosy!"

"Shush, brother. This Sesshoumaru knows how much you are fond of your intended. That episode with Kouga says it all. Mind you, it was a funny one too. I had not laughed so hard in such a long time."

"Ugh! Not you too. Mama and Papa would never stop laughing if that topic comes up. I believe I told you Rin wants you?"

"Hn. Changing topics I see. Very well, I will be there shortly."

With a light squeeze of Inuyasha's shoulder, Sesshoumaru let go of his brother and the younger took off to the palace. Once again, Sesshoumaru glanced at the skies and remembered the very night he accepted his human mother. Then there was the first trip to a human village, then the second, and seven decades after that and a full millennia thereafter, he had his coming of age ceremony and Inuyasha was a little grown up by then and he, Sesshoumaru, was a full pledge adult. He decided to keep his name and an intended was posed to him. It was a peacock youkai. She was very beautiful and well versed considering peacocks liked extravagance, but she was uncompassionate and a manipulative little bird.

The fourth trip to a human village changed everything in his life. He met the very young and very silent human page, Rin, and he thought, at first sight, that she was adorable. He had immediately overlooked her safety within the small village and gave her a decent work within the letter stations.

Years after that, he made sure to visited the same village and when he saw her, she had become a village postmistress for human-youkai mails and he was enthralled by her. She was not what one would call the perfect beauty. She had flaws, but she was what he believed was her soul's mate.

After finding out that she was not mated and had no romantic relation to another human man, he wasted no time to publicly announce his disengagement to the peacock youkai mistress and courted her weeks after. They married three years later after the courtship and had their first pup and heir, Shouseiki. A hanyou but his features were all full youkai without markings. Then years later, he had sired his first two girl pups, which were named in honor of his Lady Mothers, Satsukoshi and Izayoi, then their recent unborn pup to be named, Ariou 'Aryo'.

The joy of his life would not have probably been by his side if he had not accepted Izayoi as his Second Mother and as an ambassador to the human lands. He was thankful of her for everything. She was a joy and very kind mother not only to her legitimate pups, but to him as well.

Sesshoumaru looked up at the stars and smiled at the new moon up above illuminating the dark night skies.

"I thank-you Lady Second Mother for the gift you have given me."

"Sesshoumaru, what are you doing here? Aren't you cold? Inuysaha said you were here for, what? Half an hour already? Dear me, puppy, your mate is looking all over for you. Go to her already."

Sesshoumaru merely smiled at his Second Mother's fuss, but he understood her worry. He was, after all, a father and a good one at that. All the fuss was good and, although irritating, was a must. He looked down at Izayoi, now a good fifteen inches shorter than him –he noted with much arrogance and smugness- and smiled at her kindly.

"Yes, mother. I shall return now. That is, if you prefer to dally out here, I will accompany you."

"Oh, dear heavens, no, it's too cold and besides I was only looking for you. Your mate is a worry you know that. Go now. She was so worried about you being out in the snow far too long."

"Come, mother, I believe father would not want you to freeze to death here."

"Ah, well, yes. That is nice but I should also find Suikon. I believe she mentioned having found a tanuki in the premises. Would you like to accompany me later?"

"A tanuki? What is with you and a tanuki. Very well, later it is then."

Then they returned to the palace and were greeted by their family. Sesshoumaru's happy life was all thanks to the human woman beside him. If it was not for Izayoi, and if it was not for his father pursuing the human woman, then things would have not been the same.

A/N: Izayoi was suppose to have obsessions with sewing not Tanukis. However, I happen to come across a picture of a Tanuki so that is how I got the idea.


End file.
